school lunch box ideas please.

[BDraw]

My kids have been doing mostly raw all summer and school starts tomorrow. So when I suggested taking thier lunch, they were actually excited. Now what to send them. I know -- lots! I've got onion bread dehydrating as I type. They love it. Any suggestions as to what to put on it that won't change color (avocado would turn brown), I do have peanut butter (store bought), but would prefer not to use it. And I have not made almond butter yet (it is on the to-do list).

I'll send a variety of fruit that I do not have to pre-cut, grapes and bananas come to mind. Carrot or celery sticks. And some nut/date goodies that I created by accident -- sure wish I had written that receipe down. Still thinking (1 cup walnuts, 1 cup soaked sunflower seed, 1/3 cup soaked dates, cinnamon, vanilla, and honey. Hey, I remembered! They are dehydrating now too.)

Okay, maybe I answered my own question, but any other ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Mommax4]

What about taking celery sticks and stuffing it with nut pate, or with the "cream cheese" or with the garden burger mixture.

Little cucumber sandwhiches made the same way, two slices of cucumber with the above between it.

The pizza would be a good one to stick in the lunch box as well.

[truthseeker]

a bag of raisins or goji berries or almonds (I flavor them) or a trail mix of all of these.

I make "pudding" and put them in little tupperware cups

Smoothies of ALL kind that I put in reuseable glass bottles (left over from my hubbys tea that he buys)

I make strawberry "chip" from the dehydrator

Almond butter and crushed berry sandwhiches (your choice of breads/cracker)

"noddle" soups

banana chips or "sandwhiches" or "pudding"

Alissa's apple pie TO GO! again a piece in a small tupperware dish.

chopped watermelon, cantalope, honeydew etc.

of course ANY fruit salad

Make cookies

Fruit roll ups from the dehydrator, just fruit blended, poured on a sheet and dehydrated overnight.

carrot, celery or cucumber sticks

"pickles"

apple chips.....they LOVE these!

apple sauce, again in small container

Don't know how "veggie orientated" your kids are but a simple romain leaf with assorted veggies could pose as a "veggie wrap"

Hummus

salsa and chips maybe guacamole

a bag of grapes, cherry tomatoes or strawberries

You can make "granola bars"/"energy bars"

And I ALWAYS give them a bottle of water and a single piece of fruit...apple, banana, peach ect.

I too am always looking for new ideas so if anyone has any....I'm all ears!

[BDraw]

Like what are suggesting . . . how do you make:

apple chips? strawberry "chip"? "noddle" soups? "pickles"?

I really like the variety you suggest. But I gotta ask how much do you send in addition to " And I ALWAYS give them a bottle of water and a single piece of fruit...apple, banana, peach ect."

They loved thier lunch I sent today. And today when they got home from school, I had a smoothie with banana, sunflower, seseame, and flax seed ready for them. For the first time since we've gone raw, they did not leave the supper table claiming they were hungry, in fact, they had food left on thier plate -- a first! Can you tell I am still in shock!


Thanks for the ideas!!!!!

[truthseeker]

I slice strawberries , apples or banana's put them in a dehydrator and in a day or so (depends how high the heat) they are done

noodle soup is zucchini noodles in any soup base. If you find a good "chicken noodle" soup recipe then it's kinda like a "ramen" noodle soup. Kids LOVE that stuff.

pickles, I used Victoria Boutenko's recipe:

Raw Family’s Famous Rawssian Pickles Recipe:

Ingredients:

3 lbs pickling cucumbers

1/2 big bunch of Pickling dill (with seeds)

4 horseradish leaves (for crunchiness)

1 medium head garlic

6 cups of water

9 Tablespoons of sea salt.

Cut one quarter of an inch off both ends of pickling cucumbers. Stuff the cucumbers into a glass gallon jar with garlic, dill (with seeds), and fresh horseradish leaves. If you have hard time finding horseradish leaves, you may use grape, currant or cherry leaves instead.

Mix the water and salt in a blender.

Pour the salt-water into the gallon jar so that the pickles are covered. If needed, add plain water to completely submerge the pickles. Let this jar sit on the counter covered with a cloth for two days. On the third day the pickles will be pickled enough to eat. If you will decide after four or five days that you want them to stop pickling, drain the water, cover the jar with lid and place them in the refrigerator.

Yields: 1 gallon of pickles

Warning: This dish contains large amount of salt, please eat sparingly!


I hope it's ok to post that, please let me know if not... :o


How much do I send??? Well that's different for every child. My kids do eat A LOT and I mean A LOT and ALL THE TIME. They have snack time during morning hours and lunch at 12 in the afternoon. Here's a tipical lunch box for us from last year (Homeschooling this year)

8oz. bottle of water (they also keep this by their desk during hot weather)

8oz. bottle of smoothie

baggie of goji berries

a few baby carrot sticks....3 or 4

almond butter and crushed berry sandwich on essine breat

small container of "pudding"

and an apple


I await the day my kids leave food on their plate!!! That only happens when they don't care for what's on the menu. :rolleyes:

[truthseeker]

Just to let you know in the pickle recipe I used 3 oak leaves instead of the horseradish leaves (couldn't find a source for them) and I used only about 1/2 a head of garlic cloves and plan to use maybe only 1/4 a head next batch.

[BDraw]

Thank you!!!

You know what is funny -- my biggest fear of sending my kids to school was lunch-time.

I know someday I will be homeschooling, but first I gotta get my own life in order -- or else we would all end up hating each other.

The pickles sound good and would you believe, just yesterday, I gave all my dill away to a neighbor for his pickles! And he makes them hot! Next year.

[truthseeker]

No problem, I would like to mention though that maybe, maybe you should prepare for if/when you child gets picked on by other children for being .....as my child was called "a health food geek". Not saying it will happen but that maybe you should be prepared to say something to your child if it does.